Coal Ash Spill Fouls North Carolina's Dan River

The coal ash spill, 82,000 tons as of Feb. 8 after being detected on Feb. 2, comes from a pond adjacent to a closed, coal-burning Duke Energy power plant. It is said not to pose a threat to drinking water, though the river has turned black and grey.

2 minute read

February 8, 2014, 11:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Coal ash is what is left after coal is burned to produce energy in power plants. The spill of wet coal ash or slury, which had yet to be stopped as of press time, comes just four years after one of the nation's worst environmental disasters in Kingston, Tenn. when a massive flood of toxic coal ash spilled from a containment pond of a Tennessee Valley Authority coal power plant.

The spill comes while West Virginia is still recovering from a Jan. 9 chemical spill in the Elk River that caused 300,000 residents in nine counties to go without drinking water. The chemical was used to prepare coal for burning.

"The river has its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains, meanders along the North Carolina-Virginia state line and supplies water to downriver cities such as Danville, Va., to the east," write Valerie Bauerlein and Cassandra Sweet.

So far the spill hasn't affected quality of drinking water because the solid material generally is caught in intake filters, local water managers said. But it has riled environmentalists, some of whom picketed this week in front of Duke's Charlotte headquarters, about 130 miles southwest.

The Los Angeles Times reports that an environmental group, Waterkeeper Alliance, claims the spill has impacted drinking water quality. The group "said its tests of water collected just yards from the spill site here showed dangerous level of toxins, including arsenic, chromium, lead, iron and other heavy metals. Arsenic levels in the samples were 35 times higher than the maximum containment level set by the Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water." See Waterkeeper Alliance photos of the spill.

"Environmentalists want ash to be regulated as a hazardous material", pointing to the trace amounts of mercury, arsenic and selenium, write Bauerlein and Sweet. However, the "energy industry has fought the hazardous waste designation, noting coal ash contains natural materials present in soil and rock."

Environmentalists have also "called for old coal ash to be moved to lined underground dumps, as is common at newer coal plants." That measure would appear to make much sense considering the current case suit against Duke Energy.

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources sued Duke in state court last spring alleging that the company's coal storage sites violated existing standards for water quality and posed "a serious danger to the health, safety and welfare of the people of North Carolina.". The case is ongoing.

Friday, February 7, 2014 in The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight